The present invention relates to barriers and, in particular, it concerns barriers that are easily and quickly erected and offer high security features.
Of most relevance to the present invention is a barrier described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,708 to Cochraine, wherein the barrier is extensibly deployed from a vehicle, and which includes at least three coils of barbed tape supported and spaced from one another with an upper coil located above two lower coils. The coils are spaced apart parallel to one another, and are supported by transverse rods located along the respective lengths of the coils.
A shortcoming of the aforementioned system is due to the barrier structure being connected and supported using transverse rods. This makes the structure relatively expensive and time consuming to produce. The weight of the rods also adds additional compressional stress to the structure that may limit the height of the structure. In addition, the rods may limit transportability due to their weight as well as reducing compressibility of the coils due to their bulk.
A further shortcoming of the aforementioned system is that the barrier is essentially supported along the axis of the coils by the tension of the coils themselves. This can lead to a weakening of the entire structure.
Another shortcoming of the aforementioned system is that the barrier is not anchored to the ground. Although this means that the barrier can be removed quickly by the installers, it also means that security is compromised when the barrier is in use.
A further shortcoming of the aforementioned system is the non-inclusion of additional security detection features.
There is therefore a need for a barrier, which is easy and cheap to construct easy to deploy, robust and provides high security features such as anchoring and security detection.
The present invention is a barrier construction and method of deployment thereof.
According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided a barrier comprising: (a) a plurality of coils; each of the coils being axially extensible; the coils being in substantially mutually parallel alignment; and each of the coils being in substantial direct contact with another of the coils; and (b) an inter-coil connector connecting two of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention the coils form a multi-layered structure, where the coils comprising a first coil disposed in a lower layer of the structure, and a second coil disposed in an upper layer thereof, the first coil at least partially supporting the second coil.
According to a further feature of the present invention the multi-layered structure comprises three layers, wherein: (a) a bottom layer comprising three of the coils; (b) a middle layer comprising two of the coils where each of the therein rests on two of the coils of the bottom layer; and (c) a top layer comprising one of the coils where the one coil of the top layer rests upon the two coils of the middle layer.
According to a further feature of the present invention a portion of the coils comprises barbs.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided a winding connector that connects adjacent loops of one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention the inter-coil connector attaches to adjacent loops of one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided a restraining element that is affixed to one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention the restraining element is affixed to the one coil at a plurality of locations thereon.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided a restraining connector, wherein the restraining connector connects the restraining element to adjacent loops of the one coil.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided a restraining element wherein the winding connector connects the restraining element to the adjacent loops of the one coil.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided a restraining element wherein the inter-coil connector connects the restraining element to adjacent loops of one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided a first restraining peg connected to a first end of the restraining element, and a second restraining peg connected to a second end thereof.
According to a further feature of the present invention the restraining element is a cable.
According to a further feature of the present invention the restraining element comprises a first restraining element and a second restraining element, the first restraining element and the second restraining element being affixed to the coils on opposing outer sides of a bottom layer of the barrier.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided an anchoring member that passes through one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention the anchoring member passes through the one coil and the one coil is disposed in a bottom layer of the barrier.
According to a further feature of the present invention the anchoring member is a cable.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided a first anchoring peg connected to a first end of the anchoring member, and a second anchoring peg connected to a second end thereof.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is provided a security detection element that is aligned substantially parallel to windings of one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention the security detection element is flexible.
According to a further feature of the present invention the security detection element is an optical communications element.
According to a further feature of the present invention the security detection element is an insulated electrical conductor.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is provided an outer core that surrounds the security detection element.
According to a further feature of the present invention the outer core forms a body of the windings of the one coil.
According to a further feature of the present invention the outer core is formed from twisted wires.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention a method for constructing a barrier comprising the steps of: (a) disposing a plurality of coils in a substantially mutually parallel alignment in proximity to one another; (b) inter-connecting two of the coils; (e) axially extending the coils to form an extended barrier; and (d) securing the extended barrier to a substrate.
According to a further feature of the present invention the step of disposing the coils is performed by: (a) arranging the coils in a multi-layered structure, where the coils comprise a first coil disposed in a lower layer of the structure, and a second coil disposed in an upper layer thereof; and (b) supporting the second coil by the first coil.
According to a further feature of the present invention the step of arranging the coils in the multi-layered structure is performed by: (a) arranging three of the coils in a bottom layer; (b) arranging two of the coils in a middle layer (c) resting each of the two coils on to of the three coils; and (d) resting one of the coils upon the two coils to define a top layer.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided the step of: after performing the step of interconnecting two of the coils attaching a restraining element to one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided the step of: prior to performing the step of axially extending the coils, securing the restraining element with a restraining peg to the substrate.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided the step of: after performing the step of inter-connecting two of the coils, passing an anchoring member through one of the coils.
According to a further feature of the present invention there is also provided the step of: prior to performing the step of axially extending the coils, securing the anchoring member with an anchoring peg to the substrate.
According to a further feature of the present invention the step of axially extending the coils is performed by a mode of conveyance.
According to a further feature of the present invention the step of axially extending the coils further comprises the step of supporting one of the coils on an elongated support.
According to a further feature of the present invention the step of securing the extended barrier to the substrate is performed by securing the restraining element with a restraining peg to the substrate.
According to a further feature of the present invention the step of securing the extended barrier to the substrate is performed by securing the anchoring member with an anchoring peg to the substrate.
According to a further feature of the present invention the step of securing the extended barrier to the substrate is performed by securing the anchoring member with an anchoring peg to the substrate at a plurality of locations.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention a wire for use in constricting barriers comprising: (a) a security detection element; (b) an outer core, wherein the security detection element is surrounded by the outer core; and (c) a plurality of barbs, wherein at least a portion of the outer core has the barbs attached thereon.
According to a further feature of the present invention the security detection element is flexible.
According to a further feature of the present invention the security detection element is an optical communications element.
According to a further feature of the present invention the security detection element is an insulated electrical conductor.
According to a further feature of the present invention the outer core is formed from twisted wires.